


This Time With Feeling - Prologue

by Steeredbag302



Category: Original Work
Genre: Arthurian, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:33:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28883952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steeredbag302/pseuds/Steeredbag302
Summary: Two magic college students shoot the shit on the eve of their final exams.
Kudos: 1





	This Time With Feeling - Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is (hopefully) the start to a passion project that'll be a long time in the making. No set schedule for when new chapters come out so... Stay tuned! Feedback and Criticism is highly appreciated!

“Okay come on. Once more from the top, Millie.” A red haired mage in flannel pajamas sighs as his bright green eyes glance at the open book in his hand. “What are the 3 different categories of Welsh Magic?” 

On the bed against the wall in front of the standing mage sits a short green haired woman in an oversized hoodie and no pants, a bored expression on her face. Books are strewn all around her on the bed and on the floor of their one room flat in Wales. It’s a tiny space but it’s the best these two college students can afford. 

“Come on! Gimmie something harder, you bellend.” Her voice is dripping with Glasgow, Scotland. While her opposite sounds American. “The 3 categories are Destruction, Creation and… fuckin’...” 

The redhead stares at Millie expectantly. “Thought this was easy?” 

“Fuck off, Jack. I got it… It’s…” Millie lets out a quiet growl and she snaps her fingers. “Fuckin’... Transformation!” 

Jack nods, a satisfied look on his face. “Good. Describe them.” 

“Destruction blows shit up. Creation makes shit. Transformation changes shit. Duh.” Millie reaches over and grabs a can of Red Bull from the bedside table to chug down the remaining half of it.

“That won’t fly on the test. How about instead you say… ‘Destruction affects the physical plane, not always in destructive ways. Creation is about using mana to boost the body’s healing capabilities, create illusions, or summon creatures. Transformation takes existing objects in the physical plane and changes them, similar to the ideas of alchemy.’ More eloquent yeah?” 

Millie lets out a hearty laugh. “You really fuckin’ believe I would _speak_ like that??” 

Jack lets out a sigh before a smirk tugs at his lips. 

“No you’re right. I can never see you saying several sentences without the word ‘fuck’ or ‘shit’ in there somewhere.” 

“See! You do fucking know me after all!” Millie lets out another laugh which causes her to flop onto her back. “Fuck man… The final’s really tomorrow eh?” 

Jack closes the book in his hand and holds it to his chest. “Yeah… After four years of work we officially become mages….” 

“Aye…” Millie stares up at the cracking ceiling. Four years ago she was left on her own to figure out what to do with her life. She let out a sigh and sat up rather abruptly. 

“We should get shitfaced.” She says with a grin on her face. 

“After our exams. Let’s not be hungover for our finals yeah?” Jack set his book down and picked up another from the pile on the bed. 

“Don’t be such a fucking wet blanket. Come on, we deserve it!” Millie stands, stepping over piles of books on the floor on her way to the kitchenette. She opens a cupboard and pulls out a bottle of scotch and two glasses. “Come on. At least one glass? Don’t make me drink alone Jacky.” 

Jack glances up from his book, pausing for a moment. “...Fuck it. One glass.” 

“Atta Jacky boy!” Millie fills both glasses and hands one to Jack, grinning all the while. “Cheers to getting through magic school!” 

“Almost getting through magic school. We still have one hurdle.” 

“Haud yer wheesht! we’ll pass, easy!” 

They clink glasses and both down a gulp. For Millie the burn of the whiskey is like an old friend. A comfort like that cake you give yourself as a treat every now and again. While for Jack it’s just a harsh burn. He coughs as the warm follows to his stomach. Jack sets down his book on the bed and swirls his glass. 

“You know… This means we’ve known each other for four years huh?” 

Millie perks up as she downs her next gulp. “Fuck, yeah. You knew me when I was 16. I’m so fuckin’ sorry mate.” She says with a laugh.

Jack chuckles. “We all had that phase.” 

“I mean… Aye but I was a complete twat.” She downs another gulp.

“Well… still became friends eh?” Jack takes a little sip, alcohol’s really not his thing.

“Somehow. Bless your little socks for stickin’ by my ass.” 

Jack just waves a hand dismissively. “Thanks for letting me. I know you... “ He pauses, unsure how to word his sentence. 

“Had a problem with pushin’ people away?” 

Jack only nods, deciding to stay silent. 

“Aye… You helped by being so damn stubborn. Thanks.” 

A smile appears on Jack’s lips. “So what’s the plan after you become a registered mage?” 

Millie cringes at the subject. She has a plan, but it’s not one she chose. Making it a pain in her eyes. “Probably travel the world… Don’t got a solid plan. You?” 

Jack shrugs as he let’s go of his glass, the glass suspending itself in the air. He turns and begins to gather the books up off the bed. He sets them on the ground and sits himself on one side. Millie sitting down on the other. 

“I think I’ll travel too. Create a bestiary, research new spells and potions, always learning y’know?” Jack grabs his drink from the air and sips at it. “Maybe what I find will one day help King Arthur…” 

Millie had her glass halfway to her lips when Jack mentioned King Arthur. Her blood ran cold at the mention of the name. For several reasons. 

“Right… You think he’ll even come back in our lifetime?” 

Jack gives a shrug. “I don’t know but I would like to contribute anyway I can. Even in death.” 

Millie turns the glass over in her hand. 4 years ago, after Millie was kicked out of her home, she came across a dying man. The man told her she had a destiny and gave her a herculean task. The man bestowed upon her the soul of Merlin. Making her Emrys, the greatest mage the world knows. She would carry the soul and consciousness of Merlin with her so that he may grow wiser and be ready for the day that King Arthur returned from the Isle of Avalon, healed of his wounds. On that day, the Emrys of that time would find the tree Merlin was sealed in centuries ago and reunite body and soul. So that Merlin and King Arthur could usher in a new age of peace, as they did in the days of yore. 

Millie hated this title, this destiny that was just shoved into her hands. She hated that she had Merlin’s voice in her head for years. That she’d one day have to find another poor soul to hand Merlin off to so that they too could have a life full of repairing a shattered and beaten magic world. Holding the soul of Merlin meant Millie had a duty to ensure Magi would be safe and united. Like a true Englishwoman. Except she was Scottish. And, in her opinion, the English did enough conquering for a planet’s lifetime. 

But Jack… How could she tell him all of this? Jack believes in King Arthur, wholeheartedly. It’s like a faith for him; something that helped him when he was young and all of his choices were made for him. His father controlled him with an iron fist but there was one thing his father couldn’t control. What Jack decided to believe in. And Jack decided to believe in Arthurian Legend. He had faith in the powerful and righteous King Arthur. He believed in the wise and attuned Merlin. He looked up to the chivalrous and loyal Knights of the Round Table. Millie knows all of this because Jack bared his soul to her often. They were friends after all. 

So who was Millie to tell Jack that what he believed in was bollocks? 

How could she tell him that she grew to despise her duty? 

How could she tell him that she wanted anything but to bring back Merlin and King Arthur and glue together Magi under the banner of Camelot?

“Millie?” Jack’s voice cut through Millie’s thoughts like a hot knife through butter. 

“Huh? Wuzzat?” 

“You drunk already?? Thought you were a heavyweight.” Jack smirks, his tone teasing. 

“Damn right, I’m a heavyweight!” She exclaims as she downs the rest of her drink.

Jack watches Millie for a moment as she downs what remained in her glass. He never really realized how… green she was. Like literally green. Green hair, green eyes, green hoodie, green… everything. He does know she loves nature. 

“Maybe you’ll be the next greatest nature mage. The next Green Man. Well… woman.” 

“Doubt it when I’m gonna have my hands full.” Millie says with a snort, not really thinking.

“With what? Thought you didn’t have a plan.”

“I don’t. I just mean like... “ She trails off.

“You love nature, sometimes more than you like people. Why wouldn’t you work to protect it?” 

_“Damn Jack for being perceptive”_ Millie thought.

“I… y’know… I got a duty.” Millie really doesn’t want to talk about this but Jack’s not the type to let up. 

“To what? You’ve told me before that your family hated you. And you’re not part of any specialist club.” 

Jack was always the inquisitive one. Once he found something he wouldn’t stop until he knew everything he could about it. Sometimes he didn’t know when to stop. It made him into an insensitive prick every now and again. Right now Millie was trying to think of ways to shut this down before she told Jack her duty. 

“Millie?” 

“Look, Jack. I… I just don’t feel like… talking about it right now.” Millie couldn’t make eye contact with her friend, eyes firmly glued on her glass. “I got some things I haven’t told you about, alright?”

Jack frowned. After four years of living together, going to class together, almost blowing up and making new discoveries together. you would think that you could tell your best friend everything and anything. _“Whatever”_

“Alright.” Jack stands up and walks over to the kitchenette to place his mostly untouched glass. “We should get some rest. Gotta get up early tomorrow.” His tone lacks friendliness, gone was the teasing tone he held up to this point. 

Millie’s eyes just stayed on her empty glass. “Yeah... Yeah, sleep’s a good idea.” 

Jack waves a hand as he approaches the bed, causing the books on the ground to move out of the way. He gets on his knees and pulls his sleeping back from underneath the bed. They’ve had their arguments about getting Jack a proper mattress but he preferred the sleeping bag. 

“Oi… Jack.” 

Jack looks up from his position halfway inside of his sleeping bag. “Yeah?” 

“I love you. You’re my best friend, the best I’ve ever had.” Millie finally makes eye contact with the mage, a light smile on her face. 

Jack seemingly analyzes Millie’s face for a moment before returning the smile. “Love you too. We got a big day tomorrow so get some rest.”

Millie simply nods as she gets cozy in her bed. Curling up like a cat and pulling her covers over her. 

Jack settles into his bag and zips it up, leaving only his face. He stares at the ceiling for the next hour. Waiting for sleep to take him. 

\---------

The next several days were all a blur of exam sheets and aptitude tests. Jack passed easily. He was brought up to be a polymath and to embody ‘Jack-of-all-trades’. Millie struggled here and there but passed her exams. The pressure was on for the both of them but they got to the graduation ceremony in one piece. The entire auditorium was buzzing with excited murmurs. However Millie was seated away from Jack so she couldn’t muse to him about how humorous it was that the Pendragon Magic College looked just like a normal college. Auditorium and all. They were even wearing normal graduation gowns, nothing that looked magical. Millie fidgets with her hands as she listens to some of the conversations around her. 

“Man the summoning part of Creation tests always fuck me over.” 

“We gotta go get drinks after this.” 

“I hope I get to keep those plants I grew in botany class.”

“You think they’ll let me sneak one last ride on the pegasus?” 

“Did you hear? Emrys is apparently a part of our class.” 

Millie could feel her veins turn to ice. 

“Yeah, they’re gonna do a whole thing to celebrate ‘em. Wonder who they are.” 

_“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.”_ Panic rises in Millie’s chest. No, not like this. 

There’s a loud pop on the stage as the headmaster appeared. Unfortunately he pops in a little ways from the podium so he has to do a little shuffle of shame to it. The headmaster was a jolly man who really played into the antique idea of a wizard. Long brown beard, bathrobes, silly little hat. 

“Welcome students! It is with both glowing pride and a deep sadness that I say congratulations to all of you for achieving the rank of mage. Whatever you may do with this rank whether it’s hunting monsters, specializing in a field, learning other magic cultures, or simply pursuing a normal life with a few party tricks up your sleeve. I sincerely hope that you take what you’ve learned here and use it to become more attuned to the world around you. Use it to appreciate the-” 

Millie can barely hear the headmaster over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

_“What can I even do here?? Jack can’t find out like this! God I’m such a fuckin’ twat for never telling him I was-”_

“-Emrys!” 

Millie’s head snaps up as she hears her title called. 

“Yes. Emrys is among you. Chosen years ago by the previous Emrys. Emrys has been a part of this student body for the last 4 years. And it is my pleasure to honor this student as they should be honored! Would Millicent Ambrose come to the stage please?”

The area around Millie exploded with applause and cheers. 

No!

Hands grabbed Millie’s shaking hands and pulled her up. She was being shoved to the stage, the crowd moving her though her entire body was ice. She robotically walks up to the headmaster and shakes his hand with a weak grip. 

_“This is happening. FUCK”_ Millie can only beat herself mentally as she barely heard the headmasters next words. 

“Would you like to say a few words?” 

Before Millie could respond she was pushed to the podium. Her mouth was like sand and she felt like her soul was in a different dimension from her body. 

_“Fucking… Say something.”_ Millie leaned in to the microphone. Mind like tv static. 

“I… would like to say congratulations. We’ve… worked hard to get where we are and I… That’s something to be proud of.” 

Her eyes scan the crowd _“Where is he??”_

“We... “ She gulped, eyes still searching and mouth opening and closing. Attempting to say anything meaningful when she only wanted to speak to one person. “Live in a chaotic world. But we have the power to control that chaos. We have the power to… to unify and become more than what that chaos can bring. As we live our… extraordinary lives.” 

Finally, she spots him. 

And for the rest of her life- no matter how much alcohol she drank or how many horrific things she will experience- She will never forget the look of betrayal and shock on Jack’s face. She’ll never forget the eclipsing pain she feels in her heart. 

“I… only hope we… As we live our… extraordinary lives.” Her eyes begin to sting, tears threatening her composure. “We will never forget… the ordinary things that makes us all human. Th-Thank you.” 

It took every ounce of willpower Millie had not to break down as she walked back to her seat. 

After the ceremony and everyone received their license that denoted them a mage. Millie began frantically searching for Jack among the crowd. 

“Jack! Where the fuck are you!” Millie searches the auditorium but could find no sign of him. “Okay… It’s okay. Maybe he’s heading home. Gotta haul my ass to catch him.” 

Hauling ass, she sprinted as fast as she could back to her apartment. Cursing her ineptitude at home teleport spells. She burst through the front door breathing heavily. 

“Jack!” 

She looked around and saw that the small apartment was empty. Maybe she beat him here? Millie lets hope creep in as she collapses onto the floor beside her bed. 

“Fuck… Need to work out.” 

Millie let her head fall back as she took deep breaths. 

“Fuck me…” 

She glances around and notices something. 

“Where’d…” 

_“Where’d the books go?? We didn’t clean…”_

Her chest went tight. Millie turned and she got onto her hands and knees and looked underneath the bed for Jack’s sleeping bag. There was nothing there.

It was then that Millie curled up on the floor and began to sob openly. 

There lied Emrys. In a ball on the floor of a tiny one room apartment. Sobbing her heart out as she realized that she has destroyed her closest friendship. She would try to text Jack. Call him. Find him so that she could apologize. But she never could. Jack was gone like a whisper in the wind. And Millie’s heart was broken in two because she realized she had nothing left but a duty she never wanted. 


End file.
